The Chicago Bears have a highly productive offense for the first time in what feels like forever. Unfortunately, it hasn’t always been pretty to watch. Too often, the unit still looks disjointed at times. Some of it is Caleb Williams‘ inability to hit on passes he normally should. However, an even bigger part is the rampant drop issues from the receiving corps. According to the latest stats, Rome Odunze, D.J. Moore, Olamide Zacchaeus, and the other starters have 17 drops this season. That is tied for the fifth-most in the NFL. Yet that isn’t the most maddening part.
No, that is the fact that Chicago had 20 drops in all of 2024.
Somehow, the offense got better while the receivers got worse. Keep this in mind. Williams has averaged 12 yards per completion. If we do the calculations, that means they left an additional 204 yards on the field due to drops, likely more. You can also safely assume two or three of those drops would’ve been touchdowns. Williams could already be over 2,500 yards with 15 or 16 touchdowns if guys just held onto the ball. The Bears quarterback would be on course for 4,306 yards and 27 touchdowns.
Rome Odunze needs to set the example.
He fancies himself the new #1 guy in that offense. Yet he hasn’t made his presence felt like a true top wide receiver would. Rome Odunze is so gifted, but hasn’t forced defenses to respect him. Too often, it feels like defenders have no trouble outbattling him for the football. Moore had three drops last season. He already has two this year. For someone typically so reliable, his diminished efficiency is hard to understand. Zacchaeus is the worst culprit with four. He had five all of last season.
Talent is not the problem with this group. They have more than enough to make defenses wary. It’s been their concentration that isn’t on point enough. Williams has given them ample opportunities to make plays. They’re not doing it enough. If they want to hang with the big boys down the stretch, that better change. Otherwise, the Bears may have to rethink their ball distribution.
Jun 1, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs outfielder Kyle Tucker (30) attempts to steal second base against the Cincinnati Reds during the first inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images
The deadline to accept or reject the qualifying offer came and passed for 13 players on Tuesday and Kyle Tucker was one of nine who officially became free agents after rejecting the $22.05 million salary for next season from their previous team. It wasn’t much of a surprise as Tucker is the consensus No. 1 player in this year’s free agent class and is projected to sign a contract upwards of $400 million by some experts, however, it doesn’t make it any less depressing to know that the Chicago Cubs have essentially bowed out from pursuing the star outfielder before the free-agent frenzy has even started.
While Cubs fans got some optimistic news following last week’s GM Meetings in Las Vegas regarding the team’s expected splurge in free agency it does not sound like Tucker is on the team’s radar whatsoever. Yes, be excited at the potential pursuit of Dylan Cease or Japanese star pitcher Tatsuya Imai or maybe Alex Bregman becomes a realistic target, but as for Tucker? Don’t count on a reunion with the Cubs.
Before Tucker officially rejected the qualifying offer from the Cubs on Tuesday night ESPN’s Jeff Passan had this tidbit on the team’s unwillingness to participate in a Tucker pursuit this offseason.
One team not expected to meet Tucker’s expected contract price: the Chicago Cubs, who traded third baseman Isaac Paredes and right fielder Cam Smith to Houston to rent Tucker in his final season before free agency and will reap a draft pick around No. 75 if he signs elsewhere.
Again, not really a surprise, but just another confirmation that the Cubs are letting Tucker walk after his lone year on the north side of Chicago. Even in a down season, Tucker posted an .841 OPS and 136 wRC+ with a 4.5 fWAR in 136 games. His second half left a horrible taste in the mouth of most Cubs fans, but I can’t help to wonder how the team will be able to replace his production in 2026 despite his disappointing final months with the team.
Meanwhile, Tucker’s ex-teammate Shōta Imanaga was one of four players who did accept the qualifying offer heading into the 2026 season. Imanaga was joined by Detroit Tigers second baseman Gleyber Torres, New York Yankees outfielder Trent Grisham and Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Brandon Woodruff.
Nov 16, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) scrambles in the pocket during the second quarter against the Minnesota Vikings
at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
Caleb Williams didn’t have his best statistical day in Minnesota, managing only 193 yards passing and no touchdowns. There were some missed opportunities, both from his throws and his receivers dropping balls. The inconsistency remains an ongoing headache. Still, the Chicago Bears quarterback did enough to get the job done. Most people who reviewed his tape probably expected an up-and-down showing as the stats reflect. They quickly discovered that Williams was much better than they realized.
That included two former quarterbacks, Dan Orlovsky and Chase Daniel. Both came away saying the same thing. Williams accumulated several “hidden yards” in the game. For those who don’t know, hidden yards refer to yards gained or lost through non-traditional means. In a quarterback’s case, they often refer to sacks avoided, throwing the ball away, and adjustments at the line of scrimmage.
Williams did that frequently in Minnesota. He was sacked twice but avoided four or five others. He had two clear decisions where he threw the ball away and frequently made smart adjustments at the line to combat the Vikings’ relentless blitzes.
Caleb Williams has learned an art that many quarterbacks never can.
In the absence of helping your team with big plays, the best thing you can do is minimize the damage. If you can’t win the game for them, make sure you don’t lose it. That is why his elusiveness and careful game management should’ve been appreciated a little more. Even Ben Johnson said Caleb Williams had a solid afternoon, and we know the Bears’ head coach does not pay lip service to players. We all want Williams to rack up huge stats and prove to the world that he’s elite. Unfortunately, getting to that point was never going to be easy.
That doesn’t mean what we’ve seen is bad. As Orlovsky and Daniel said, Williams is fast becoming Chicago’s problem-solver. That is not a label this organization could place on its quarterback going back decades. Williams easily could’ve thrown caution to the wind and tried going crazy in that game. He probably would’ve hit on more big plays, but also would’ve had some costly interceptions. Instead, he opted to play it safe in what was clearly going to be a close game.
Sep 27, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Chris Murphy (72) pitches during the sixth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images
One of the key priorities Chris Getz outlined for the White Sox this offseason is upgrading the bullpen. On Tuesday, he took his first step toward trying to accomplish that goal.
The 27-year-old southpaw is coming off a solid season in Boston, where he posted a 3.12 ERA over 23 appearances out of the bullpen. Across 34.2 innings, Murphy’s strikeout rate (20.3%) and walk rate (13.5%) both dipped below league averages, but he made up for it with an impressive 53% ground-ball rate.
Murphy features a seven-pitch arsenal but leans primarily on a 94 mph fastball complemented by a slider and curveball. While he bounced between Triple-A throughout the season, major league opponents hit just .176 against him last season.
Although he debuted in 2023, the 2026 season will be only his third in the majors, as he missed the entire 2024 campaign after undergoing Tommy John surgery. In his rookie year, he posted a 4.91 ERA, recorded a save, and delivered strikeout (23%) and walk (8%) rates that were both better than league average.
Murphy gives the White Sox a much-needed left-handed option out of the bullpen, and his ability to generate ground balls should play especially well in a hitter-friendly ballpark like Rate Field.
Nov 16, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Chicago Bears kicker Cairo Santos (8) kicks a game-winning field goal during the fourth quarter against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
The Chicago Bears were 3-7 last season in one-score games. This season? They are 5-1. Much of it is thanks to their sudden, inexplicable ability to rally in the final minutes. Five of their games have been decided by a 4th quarter comeback. This is nothing something the organization has been known for going back years. Every time the Bears have been in a crunch-time situation, they seem to fold. It began with Randall Cobb’s touchdown in 2013. Then there was the Double Doink in the 2018 playoffs against Philadelphia. There was the brutal missed field goal against the Chargers the next year, the 4th quarter collapse in Cleveland in 2023, and of course the Hail Mary in Washington last year.
This team was synonymous with implosions in pressure situations. Now all of a sudden they’re pulling off blocked field goals, long touchdowns to rookie tight ends, a QB scramble for a TD, and a long kick return to pull out these games. It is bizarre, and a little fishy for some. One theory suggests that the Bears might be getting help from a higher power.
After all, is it a coincidence that all of this started happening right after a Chicago native was made Pope?
Things have shifted for the Chicago Bears since Pope Leo XIV was elected.
He was elevated on May 8th of 2025. Since then, the Chicago Cubs have made the playoffs for the first time since 2017 and won a playoff series. The Chicago Blackhawks are off to their best start in years, headlined by Connor Bedard, who is emerging as a superstar. Now the Chicago Bears are 7-3 and in control of 1st place in the NFC North. Maybe there really was some divine intervention, especially with how awful the Chicago sports scene had been for such a long time.
If the Almighty is throwing us a bone, then Bears fans have no reason to complain. They’ve endured a lot of heartbreak over the past decade. Getting to enjoy a season for once, even if its ultimate ceiling remains unknown, is not a crime. After all, this team has done it before. They went from 5-11 to 13-3 in 2001 and 5-11 to 11-5 in 2005. What’s happening right now isn’t crazy.
Jan 12, 2024; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Cubs newly signed pitcher Shota Imanaga (center) speaks during a press conference at Loews Chicago Hotel. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
Left-handed starting pitcher Shōta Imanaga has made his decision on the qualifying offer, officially accepting the $22.05 million salary for the 2026 season.
Imanaga, who saw the Cubs decline a three-year contract extension option, declined a $15.25 million option himself and is now locked up for one more year in Chicago. The Athletic’s Patrick Mooney first reported Imanaga’s decision ahead of Tuesday’s deadline.
Shota Imanaga will be returning to the Chicago Cubs on a one-year, $22.025 million contract, a league source briefed on his decision said before Tuesday’s deadline to accept or reject qualifying offers.
(Previous Update)
We got a little bit of news from the GM meetings this week in Las Vegas as Jon Heyman reports that Shōta Imanaga will decline the qualifying offer and test the free-agent market after spending two seasons with the Chicago Cubs. However, for fans who still want to see the Japanese lefty remain on the north side of Chicago local baseball insider Bruce Levine teased a multi-year reunion as negotiations between Imanaga and the Cubs will seemingly continue once the pitcher makes his decision on the qualifying offer.
Jed Hoyer spoke to media on Tuesday night and when discussing Imanaga the Cubs’ top boss in the baseball department dispelled the notion that there was any bad blood between the organization and Imanaga.
The Cubs did not extend Imanaga’s contract that would have guaranteed him $57 million over the next three years. Meanwhile, Imanaga declined a two-year, $30.5 million contract and became a free agent. Imanaga now has until Nov. 18, to accept or decline the qualifying offer that’s worth $22.05 million.
Levine later added some interesting language, saying the Cubs and Imanaga may ultimately negotiate a new, two-year deal to reunite this offseason.
We’ll see how things shake out as the Cubs wait on Imanaga’s decision next week and if the two sides continue to work on a multi-year contract as Levine alluded to.
(Previous Update)
The Chicago Cubs extended the qualifying offer to left-handed starting pitcher Shōta Imanaga after the two sides both declined multi-year options to extend his time with the club. If Imanaga accepts the qualifying offer, then he’ll be locked into a one-year, $22.05 million contract and stick with the Cubs in 2026. As a reminder, Imanaga declined a two-year, $30.5 million player option to become a free agent.
According to national MLB insider Jon Heyman, Imanaga is expected to decline the qualifying offer from the Cubs.
It certainly seems like a bit of a shock, considering that Imanaga can guarantee himself a higher salary in 2026 if he accepts the qualifying offer. Plus, if he does indeed decline, then it’ll probably be tougher for him to get a longer contract because whatever team does sign him would then lose a draft pick.
But I guess Imanaga has enough confidence in his market and believes he’ll get as much as the $30.5 million that he has previously declined this offseason. However, we’ve already seen a couple head-scratching decisions from potential free agent starting pitchers who elected not to test free agency and remain on modest deals for 2026.
Shane Bieber opted back in with the Toronto Blue Jays and will earn $16 million next season, a decision that is still leaving folks within the industry scratching their head.
Jack Flaherty was the other starter who passed on testing the marker as he picked up a $20 million option to stay with the Detroit Tigers.
And you know, there’s that whole potential of a lockout following the 2026 season, so it’s not like there’s a lot of certainty about when baseball will start up again in 2027. We’ll see what ends up happening with Imanaga, but I do think it’s a bit of a surprise if he does indeed decline the qualifying offer.
Nov 8, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Jalen Smith (25) celebrates after hitting a three point basket against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the first half at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
Last night, the Chicago Bulls pulled off the most improbable upset of the young 2025-26 campaign. Denver was riding a seven-game winning streak, undefeated at home on the season, and was in second place in the Western Conference standings. Enter Josh Giddey and the Chicago Bulls. Thanks to a last-minute three-point make from Nikola Vucevic and clutch free throws to seal the deal, the Bulls were able to halt their five-game losing skid and steal one on the road without Coby White. They’ve featured a new hero every night, and have had sizeable contributions from the majority of the roster, but one bench member has been rising above the rest lately. Does he deserve more minutes, and could he crack the starting five down the road?
Jalen Smith Is Balling Out
Many thought that the signing of Jalen Smith was a steal over the summer of 2024. He was inked to a three-year, $27 million contract after being in Indiana for the previous two seasons. In 64 outings last year, he averaged 8.2 points and 5.6 boards per night while shooting 32.4% from three-point land. He showed some promise, but nothing noteworthy. Through the first 13 games of this season, he’s elevated every part of his game and is one of the most essential assets in Chicago’s lethal second unit.
This year, he’s flexing 10.2 points and 6.3 rebounds, including a blazing 40.0% three-point clip while attempting a career-high 4.2 attempts per night. This month, he’s posted 11.9 points and 7.1 rebounds, while sniping at a 46.2% rate from deep on 4.9 attempts each contest. He’s quietly becoming the most crucial piece off the bench.
Starting Five, Or Two Center Lineups
At this point, head coach Billy Donovan needs to find more minutes for the impressive big man. The two options would be promoting him to the starting five, replacing Nikola Vucevic, or experimenting with playing the two bigs side by side for stretches. The more likely answer is the latter, but Donovan has rarely deployed the two-center look. Since both big men can shoot the three-ball efficiently and stretch the floor, this isn’t an unrealistic idea. There have been several games where the opposition’s lineup features two bigs that overpower Matas Buzelis or Patrick Williams, putting Chicago in a tough defensive spot.
At just 25 years old and becoming one of the most talented bench players on the team, does Jalen Smith have a long-term future in Chicago? With improved consistency and better rim-protection, he might replace Vucevic after this season as the center moving forward. Vucevic is 34 years old, on an expiring contract this season, and the Bulls will see Zach Collins return from injury before the calendar turns to 2026.
If Smith’s play continues to shine, do the Bulls dangle Vucevic at the deadline, and move forward with Collins, Smith, and future draft capital from a Vucevic trade? Letting his contract expire with nothing in return would mean another veteran leaving the franchise without compensation for the team in Chicago. Given Arturas Karnisovas’s track record with expiring deals, that’s the most likely scenario.
Nov 16, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Chicago Bears wide receiver DJ Moore (2) warms up before a game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
The Bears walked out of Minnesota with a win and a 7-3 record, but let’s not pretend it was easy. That 19-17 W over the Vikings felt more like surviving a bar brawl than winning a chess match. Yes, the scoreboard says victory, but the tape tells a messier story. A few Bears looked like they were actively trying to give the game away. And while Chicago may be sitting atop the NFC North, some dudes on this roster need to take a long look in the mirror after that Week 11 slop-fest.
Here are five of the biggest losers from a game that should’ve been a cruise but turned into a damn escape room.
Let’s get this out of the way: Caleb Williams didn’t throw a pick. That’s a win in itself. But let’s be honest — everything else about his game was a mixed bag. He wasn’t a disaster, but he definitely wasn’t dialed in either. The Vikings blitzed him mercilessly — on 64.7% of his dropbacks, maybe even higher. Flores kept the gas pedal down all night.
Williams missed DJ Moore on a throw that could’ve changed the tone of the game. He overshot Rome Odunze on a couple key third downs. Even some of his checkdowns looked rushed. A 50% completion rate? That’s a season-worst. And the 68.9 passer rating? Only better than his meltdown against the Saints.
Yes, protecting the football matters. But this offense isn’t designed to play it safe — it’s meant to punch teams in the mouth. If Cairo Santos and Devin Duvernay don’t come through late, this conversation’s a whole lot uglier.
Bottom line: Williams needs to start driving wins, not just surviving them.
That said, let’s not overreact. Brian Flores has a knack for making life miserable for even elite quarterbacks. Caleb got the win, and in the thick of the season, stacking Ws is what matters. But the margin for error? It’s shrinking.
Remember when DJ Moore was the alpha WR1 this offense could lean on? Me neither. Moore straight-up ghosted this game. Three targets? That’s a slap in the face to anyone who thinks he’s worth that massive contract. One of those balls hit him in the hands on the penultimate drive, and he just… dropped it. Crucial moment. Killer mistake.
Worse, the guy couldn’t create separation. Again. There are whispers (getting louder) that his route effort isn’t there, and you could see it on film. He looks like he’s mailing it in half the time.
Rome Odunze and even rookie Colston Loveland are starting to eat into Moore’s target share, and it’s not just game plan — it’s production-based. If you’re the WR1 and can’t get looks in a blitz-heavy, man coverage game? That’s on you.
Monangai got into the end zone, so on paper he had “a role.” Reality? He was a liability. A brutal 1.9 YPC behind an offensive line that dominated the run game for the past month is unacceptable. Especially against a Vikings defense ranked 22nd against the run.
Take away his one-yard TD and one decent third-down conversion, and you’re looking at a back who got stuffed repeatedly. D’Andre Swift, by comparison, was a damn chainsaw — 90 yards on 21 carries. When the game was tight in the fourth, Swift was on the field. Monangai wasn’t. That’s not subtle.
I’m not worried about the kid long-term, but this wasn’t his best game. Let’s see what he does next week.
4. Rome Odunze
Odunze led the team in targets. So what? He caught two of them. He got air-mailed on a couple throws, but the bigger problem is how often he’s failing to separate or win at the catch point.
This was a Vikings secondary that’s been torched by just about every WR1 post-bye, and Odunze barely registered. One target in the second half. That’s not a game plan issue — that’s a trust issue. Either Caleb didn’t like what he saw, or Odunze wasn’t doing enough to get open.
He’s flashed at times, but his production was all over the place. And I know Rome has been a dawg this year but this weekend we didn’t see that. If the Bears are going to make a playoff push, they need more than just “potential” from Odunze. They need him to be a catching machine.
5. Richard Hightower
Forget Duvernay’s kick return magic for a second. The Bears’ coverage units were flat-out dangerous — to themselves. A 43-yard punt return by Myles Price flipped the field, led directly to a touchdown, and damn near flipped the result of this game.
Add in a dumb fair catch interference penalty and several breakdowns in lane discipline, and you’ve got a unit that cost the Bears real momentum and field position. In a dome. No wind. No excuses.
These aren’t just footnotes. These are fatal flaws against better teams. The Bears got away with it because Minnesota had a wet cardboard cutout at QB. Try this nonsense against the Lions, and it’s a double-digit L.
This unit has struggled all season, no question. I’ve been skeptical of Hightower’s impact for a while, but I’m open to being proven wrong. Let’s see if he can turn it around.
Final Verdict
Winning ugly is still winning. But let’s not act like this was a “we’ve arrived” moment. Caleb looked shook. DJ Moore’s trending toward irrelevance. Monangai looked like a mirage. Odunze’s ceiling is hitting turbulence. And the coverage units nearly choked the whole damn thing away.
At 7-3, Chicago’s in the driver’s seat. But the NFC doesn’t hand out playoff wins just for showing up. The Bears need to clean this up fast — or their postseason hopes could vanish with a tough schedule looming.
Nov 16, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson walks the sideline during the second quarter against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
Ben Johnson was the prize at the end of the obstacle course for every team in the NFL seeking a new coach. Everybody wants the next young offensive genius who can change the culture of a franchise overnight. Nobody expected the Chicago Bears to be that team. Why would they? This is an organization that has adhered to a rigid archetype for decades: defensive-minded and old-school. Johnson was none of those things. Yet GM Ryan Poles bucked the trend, making an all-out push to bring the Detroit Lions’ offensive coordinator to Chicago.
He succeeded.
Aided by a hefty contract and the presence of talented QB Caleb Williams, the Bears lured Johnson south. From there, the coach blew through Halas Hall like a fresh spring breeze. Everything changed. Discipline was instilled. Urgency and intensity went up. Details became an obsession. If guys didn’t do their jobs, they would hear about it. No cutting corners allowed. Most felt it would take time for things to click. Then the Bears reached 7-3 and are sitting atop the NFC North. What Johnson has done is remarkable, and Benjamin Solak of ESPN believes his impact is even greater than you realize.
He offered details on why.
Let’s recall the expectation that Johnson’s complex, motion-heavy, timing-based offense would take time to install. That Williams would need to grow into the system and Johnson would have to bend his approach to accommodate a stylistically different passer than Jared Goff. That the entire offensive line and running game required reimagining.
On these benchmarks alone, Johnson has been a smashing success. Chicago could be 2-8 right now, had all those winning drives not gone its way, and I’d still be saying it. Johnson’s status as a top-five playcaller in the league has been clearly cemented in his first season outside Detroit. The Bears’ offense works. And it is significantly ahead of schedule…
…Johnson’s commitment to building Chicago’s running game has created an easier environment for passing the football. Williams has seen base defense on 31.7% of his dropbacks, which is second most behind only Lamar Jackson; he has run a play-action fake on 32.3%, which is third behind Matthew Stafford and Daniel Jones. The pre-snap manipulation is only half of the victory, as 30.2% of Williams’ pass attempts this season have been thrown to targets tracked as “wide open” by NFL Next Gen Stats (at least 5 yards of separation). That’s the highest rate in the league, and it remains the highest if you filter out throws behind the line of scrimmage.
Ben Johnson has improved the Bears across the board.
Caleb Williams is on track to top his yards and touchdown numbers from last season while improving his overall efficiency. The completion percentage still needs improvement, but everything else has made significant progress. The running game is #2 in the NFL despite not having an elite running back to lean on. Last but not least, their situational execution is vastly improved. The Bears are 11th in 3rd down conversion rate this season, which is up from 31st last year. They also have five 4th quarter comebacks.
All of this was made possible by Ben Johnson and his staff. Teams don’t usually undergo such rapid turnarounds like this in one season. It takes a coach a year to get everything how he wants. It’s a testament to Johnson’s ability to get players to buy in so quickly. Yes, the Bears aren’t perfect. They have work to do before they can tangle with the top teams, but the progress is undeniable.
The Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings once again battled down to the wire. It was practically a carbon copy of the first game in week one. Chicago, led by a strong defensive effort and an efficient if unremarkable Caleb Williams performance, built a double-digit lead. Again, J.J. McCarthy overcame a terrible first three quarters to score two unanswered touchdowns for the lead. Everybody thought it was over with just 50 seconds left.
This time, though, the Bears didn’t flinch. Devin Duvernay struck with a 53-yard kickoff return to put them in Minnesota territory. Then, a couple of runs on offense set up kicker Cairo Santos with a 48-yard field goal attempt. Here is where things get delicious.
We all know what happened next. Santos overcame a high snap to boot the ball just inside the left upright, sealing the Bears’ 19-17 victory. What nobody noticed at the time was that the Vikings apparently thought it wasn’t good. You can see their mascot signaling as such on the replay. They were so convinced of this that they began playing “Skol Vikings,” their victory song.
Oops.
The Chicago Bears got sweet revenge in several respects.
Firstly, they exorcized the demons of that loss on opening night, overcoming Minnesota’s late surge to claim the victory that rightfully belonged to them. They’d been the better team for six of the eight quarters the two teams played. This ending reflected that. Even better, it all but ruins the Vikings’ playoff hopes. The loss pushed them to 4-6. Given the current state of the NFC playoff picture, they would have to go 6-1 the rest of the way to have a realistic shot at the postseason. With how McCarthy is playing, that isn’t happening.
It seems so fitting that Minnesota blundered like that at the end of the game. They’d owned the Chicago Bears for the past several years thanks to their excellent coaching and roster superiority. They’d assumed both would carry the day once again. Celebrating a loss with your fight song is as delicious as you can possibly imagine.
